|
|
HOME > Menopause
Resource Center > Menopause & Hormones |
Menopause Resource Center
Menopause & Hormones
article syndicated from FDA
What is menopause?
Menopause
is a normal change in a
woman's life when her period
stops. That's why some
people call menopause "the
change of life" or "the
change." During menopause
a woman's body slowly produces
less of the hormones estrogen
and progesterone. This
often happens between the
ages of 45 and 55 years
old. A woman has reached
menopause when she has
not had a period for 12
months in a row.
How do hormones help with menopause? Reduce hot flashes Treat vaginal dryness Slow bone loss Who should not take hormone therapy for menopause? Women who... Think they are pregnant Have problems with vaginal bleeding Have had certain kinds of cancers Have had a stroke or heart attack in the past year Have had blood clots Have liver disease |
Hormone therapy for menopause has also been called hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Lower hormone levels in menopause may lead to hot flashes, vaginal dryness and thin bones. To help with these problems, women are often given estrogen or estrogen with progestin (another hormone). Like all medicines, hormone therapy has risks and benefits. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about hormones. If you decide to use hormones, use them at the lowest dose that helps. Also use them for the shortest time that you need them.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
Every woman's period will stop at menopause. Some women may not have any other symptoms at all. As you near menopause, you may have:
-
Changes in your period--time between periods or flow may be different.
-
Hot flashes ("hot flushes")--getting warm in the face, neck and chest.
-
Night sweats and sleeping problems that lead to feeling tired, stressed or tense.
-
Vaginal changes--the vagina may become dry and thin, and sex may be painful.
-
Thinning of your bones, which may lead to loss of height and bone breaks (osteoporosis).
Who needs treatment for symptoms of menopause?
-
For some women, many of these changes will go away over time without treatment.
-
Some women will choose treatment for their symptoms and to prevent bone loss. If you choose treatment, estrogen alone or estrogen with progestin (for a woman who still has her uterus or womb) can be used.
What
are the benefits
from using hormones
for menopause?
Hormone therapy
is the most effective
FDA approved medicine
for relief of your hot
flashes, night sweats
or vaginal dryness.
Hormones may reduce your chances of getting thin, weak bones (osteoporosis),
which break easily.
What are the risks of using hormones?
For some women, hormone therapy may increase their chances of getting
blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and gall bladder disease.
For a woman with a uterus, estrogen increases her chance of getting endometrial
cancer (cancer of the uterine lining). Adding progestin lowers this risk.
Should hormone therapy be used to protect
the heart or prevent strokes?
Do not use hormone therapy to prevent heart attacks or strokes.
Should hormone therapy be used to prevent memory loss or Alzheimer's
disease?
Do not use hormone therapy to prevent memory loss or Alzheimer's disease.
Do hormones protect against aging and wrinkles?
Studies have not shown that hormone therapy prevents aging and wrinkles.
How long should I use hormones for menopause?
You should talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Again, hormones should
be used at the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time that you need
them.
Does it make a difference what form of hormones I use for menopause?
The risks and benefits may be the same for all hormone products for menopause,
such as pills, patches, vaginal creams, gels and rings.
Are
herbs and other "natural" products
useful in treating symptoms
of menopause?
At
this time, we do not
know if herbs or other "natural" products
are helpful or safe.
Studies are being done
to learn about the benefits
and risks.
What can I do to improve my health whether I am using hormones or not?
|
article
syndicated from U.S.
Food and Drug Administration:
http://www.fda.gov/womens/menopause/mht-FS.html
September 2003
> PMS Resource Center
> Progesterone Resource Center
> Subscribe to Menopause & PMS Tips Newsletter
> Recommended Products
